Twanzie's Front Porch Red Earth garden

Down on Main Street this garden faces Northeesterly. A 50 foot oak offers shade for a small section of the front porch but the late afternoon sun is a bit brutal. The big challenge is the hard red clay,not to mention the lack of morning sun blocked by the house its self. Then there’s the draught. ugh.

In 2005 I planted the large pampas grass and it seems very happy. It does get a bit of the morning sun, but that’s the only spot in the beds that does. I’m thinking of putting some sort of evergreen on the Northeastern side of the porch that would be beside the drive but the grass has been holding it’s own so far.

The pencil plants flanking the steps are in containers because they may be too tempting for the pups but the loropetalum across the front going in the ground. I am in the process of planting an arborvitae off the southwestern corner basicly opposite the pampas on the other side of the porch. This offers a transition from the front yard to the side yard which is where most everyone enters. In the future it should add a nice bit of screening from the street as well.

I would like to have flowers in containers in this area but I’m not sure what would work. I’ve tried zinnia to no avail.